FinCEN, a Tysons-based bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has become a central figure in an international investigation by Buzzfeed News.

The organization — officially the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — ­has been located in Tysons since 2004 at the Tycon Courthouse, otherwise know as the “Toilet Bowl.”

FinCEN was created in 1990 to support federal, state, local and international law enforcement through analyzing information required under the Bank Secrecy Act, according to the agency’s website. It also is meant to use collection, analysis and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities to protect the financial system from unlawful use, combat money laundering and promote national security.

According to FinCEN’s site, the organization utilizes the following methods to fulfill its responsibilities of detecting deterring financial crime:

• Issues and interprets regulations authorized by statute;
• Supports and enforces compliance with those regulations;
• Supports, coordinates, and analyzes data regarding compliance examination functions delegated to other Federal regulators;
• Manages the collection, processing, storage, dissemination, and protection of data filed under FinCEN’s reporting requirements;
• Maintains a government-wide access service to FinCEN’s data, and networks users with overlapping interests;
• Supports law enforcement investigations and prosecutions;
• Synthesizes data to recommend internal and external allocation of resources to areas of greatest financial crime risk;
• Shares information and coordinates with foreign financial intelligence unit (FIU) counterparts on AML/CFT efforts; and
• Conducts analysis to support policymakers; law enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence agencies; FIUs; and the financial industry.

This week, Buzzfeed News published its investigation of the “FinCEN Files” that include more than 2,100 Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). Buzzfeed News and the Consortium of Investigative Journalists obtained the files that reportedly reveal global financial corruption, banks involved in it and government agencies actions in regard to these events.

The report details more than $2 trillion in transactions and spans to more than 170 countries and territories. The articles published by Buzzfeed News report on money laundering and the financial movements of terror networks, drug cartels, organized crime and other organizations through international banks.

The Buzzfeed investigation noted that while the number of SARs going to FinCEN have more than doubled, staffing at the agency has declined by 10%, leaving many of the SARs unread.

About 6,700 students could start trickling into Fairfax County Public Schools during October, according to a plan for limited in-person learning developed by the district.

Although Board of Education members indicated they approve of bringing back students, prioritizing those who need extra support in school, they criticized the plan as Superintendent Scott Brabrand presented to them during a work session Tuesday evening.

Members told Brabrand his presentation lacked the numbers that parents and teachers need to reconfigure their lives.  They also pointed out that there was minimal information on the thresholds that the district needs to offer or suspend in-person instruction, depending on health levels.

“We continue to say, ‘data, data, data, measurements,’ and I don’t see it here,” Springfield District Representative Laura Jane Cohen said. “I don’t think this gives our staff and our families any sense of understanding of what is to come.”

Brabrand assured members that their thirst for data will be quenched once the Virginia Department of Health publishes a dashboard that currently only officials can access.

“The state dashboard health metrics will be a game-changer for this community and this school board, and it will be available in just a few days,” he said.

Members flooded FCPS administrators with other questions and concerns, chief among them, when kindergarten, first- and second-grade students can return.

Currently, students can come to be assessed for support services, groups can sit for socially distanced exams and teachers can access their classrooms.

By late October, administrators estimate that 653 teachers can teach 6,707 students in school buildings for anywhere between one half-day to four full days a week.

The district is targeting students who receive special education services, attend preschool, are English-language learners, newcomers to U.S. schools or have limited formal education. High school students can also come for certain technical-education courses.

But Vice-Chair and Sully District Representative Stella Petarsky said she is disappointed that English-language learners are only coming in for a half-day, once a week. She doubted that  was “worth the inherent risk of bringing kids to school.”

Melanie K. Meren, the Hunter Mill District representative, said teachers are overwhelmed, and some are “outright resigning.” Others told her they are hurting from funding shortages that resulted from lower enrollment.

This year, 8,000 students unenrolled from FCPS.

The extent of the impact of lower enrollments has yet to be measured, but staffing problems could strain the return-to-school plan.

Over the summer, the district surveyed teachers to gauge if they prefer in-person or virtual learning during the pandemic. Teachers who preferred virtual learning were separated into four categories: At-risk teachers formed Tier 1, while those living with at-risk individuals comprised Tier 2. Those who worried about child-care formed Tier 3, while teachers with none of these concerns formed Tier 4.

To support in-person learning, most of the teachers in Tiers 2 through 4 need to teach in schools, or “make a decision not to work for Fairfax County Public Schools,” Brabrand said.

“If we want to bring the majority of our kids in each cohort, we have to bring back the majority of teachers who themselves do not have health accommodations,” he said.

Teachers in Tier 1 would be offered accommodations or be given a leave of absence. Those needing childcare can have temporary absence covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The district would try to match some teachers with virtual students, Brabrand said.

In response, a majority of board members told the superintendent they want to review the data on the staff who said they would consider leaving the district, and see if they could be offered a leave of absence instead.

“We do have enough staff for the first phase of the plan and will work on other matters moving forward to ensure a safe return for our staff and students into school buildings,” Caldwell said in the email.

Photo via Element5 Digital/Unsplash

For the second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Falls Church as the third healthiest community in the United States, a slight decline from its number 1 ranking in 2018.

The ranking, which looks at everything from population health to public safety and infrastructure, put Falls Church at the top of the charts in the economy (100 points), population health (98 points) and education (96 points) rankings.

In population health: the Falls Church life expectancy of 81.8 years surpassed the national average of 77.9 years while the smoking rate of 12.8% and the percent of population without insurance of 3.7% were both well below the national average.

For the economy: the median household income of $124,796 was more than double the national average of $49,888. The poverty rate of 2.7% was less than the national average of 14.7% and the unemployment rate of 2.2% was lower than the national average of 3.9%.

Falls Church scored lowest in equity (46 points) and housing (35 points). Under equity, the rankings indicated that Falls Church is significantly less diverse than the national average, along with a higher racial disparity in educational attainment and a higher premature death disparity.

While Falls Church scored highly in housing quality, it was ranked low in both housing affordability and housing capacity. The average person would need to work 54 hours to pay for affordable housing in Falls Church, above the national average of 41 hours. The vacancy rate is also substantially lower, at 0.5%, compared to the national average of 2.4%.

The last time the Town of Vienna made sweeping changes to the zoning code, astronauts were taking their first steps on the Moon.

At a joint work session with the Planning Commission tonight (Wednesday), the Vienna Town Council is looking at completely overhauling the town’s zoning code that has largely remained intact for half a century.

“The vast majority of provisions in the Zoning Code were initially adopted in 1956 and then carried forward as part of the 1969 code with piecemeal updates to address certain changing conditions over time,” staff said in a report. “A complete overhaul of the Zoning Code has not been undertaken or completed to date. Efforts to shoehorn design-based zoning districts in commercial corridors, specifically the Maple Avenue Corridor, have been repealed.”

The upcoming overhaul will start with an assessment of what’s outdated and what still works. While the zoning code has gotten high marks for keeping the single-family residential character intact, that inflexibility has led to some challenges as well. One of the areas identified in the study of the zoning code as being the most challenging is providing housing suitable for all age groups, with narrow zoning definitions for housing have made difficult. Read More

AMT Looking for Buyers or Partners for ‘City View Tysons’ Development — “On AMT’s behalf, Cushman & Wakefield recently began marketing 7901 Westpark Drive to interested buyers or equity partners. The ‘shovel ready’ development site is approved for a 215,547-square-foot building, per marketing material from the commercial real estate brokerage.” [Washington Business Journal]

Local Bluesy Stoner Rock — “On Friday, Virginia’s dark, bluesy stoner rock outfit Pimmit Hills — featuring former members of King Giant — will release their new EP, Heathens & Prophets.” [Treble]

ManTech CEO Becomes Chairman of Board of Directors — “”Kevin has done an outstanding job as CEO and he is clearly the right individual to lead the board going forward,” said Barry Campbell, a ManTech independent director.” [ExecutiveBiz]

Providence District Council Polls Local Residents — The Providence District Council, a group of local citizens’ associations, has put out a survey asking locals what issues are most important to them. [Providence District Council]

When students at Cooper Middle School (977 Balls Hill Road) in McLean eventually do return to their classrooms, they could find their school in the middle of a sweeping overhaul.

At a School Board meeting last week, the Board unanimously approved a contract to make a series of improvements to the school, including a renovation of all systems and spaces in the building.

Some of these changes are technical and behind the scenes, but others are more prominent.

“This includes new HVAC, IT, electrical, plumbing, and life safety systems in their entirety,” said John Torre, executive director of communication and community relations for Fairfax County Public Schools. “Approximately 69,000 [square feet] of new space will be added to the existing building.”

This new space includes:

• new two story classroom addition
• new library space
• new courtyard
• additional classroom space in a new second floor that will be built over a portion of the existing first floor
• new main entrance
• reconfigured administration space
• cafeteria expansion
• main gym expansion

The existing Kiss and Ride circulation outside the building will be improved in the renovations, with parking at the school reconfigured and expanded. A new paved play area will be provided, Torre said.

“This project is currently scheduled to begin in mid-October 2020 with an end date of late summer 2023,” Torre said.

Image via Google Maps

In lieu of rolling down the window to put some cash in a firefighter’s boot, those looking to help out their local Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary can get dinner at Chipotle on Maple Avenue today..

A portion of the proceeds from orders placed at the Chipotle at 213 Maple Avenue E. in Vienna today (Tuesday) between 5-9 p.m. will go to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. If the event page is brought up on a smartphone or the cashier is told you’re there to support the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, 33% of the proceeds will be donated to the organization.

For those reticent to buy from the restaurant in-person, orders placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app for pickup can use the promo code FV32C9F.

Another fundraiser-for-dinner option is the Chick-Fil-A, which is having a mobile order fundraiser where those ordering from the Vienna location can have a portion of their order go to Flint Hill Elementary School if they mention it in the order.

Photo via Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Auxillary/Facebook

Downtown McLean could see new development over the next 10 years, after Fairfax County adopted a new program last Tuesday making it cheaper and faster for developers to build in revitalization districts.

Developers whose plans meet certain criteria could benefit from real-estate tax breaks, a 10% reduction in site plan fees and a fast-tracked process for zoning applications if they build in McLean, or one of the other five revitalization district in the county.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Economic Incentive Program on Sept. 15 to give the private sector incentives to revitalize and redevelop properties in a half-dozen commercial revitalization districts, including McLean.

The program was established by an ordinance that amends the county code.

Other qualifying districts include:

• Baileys Crossroads/Seven Corners
• Annandale
• Lincolnia
• Areas along Richmond Highway, including suburban areas and part of the Huntington Transit Station Area
• Springfield, except the single-family portion of the Springfield Transit Station Area

To qualify for the lower costs and faster application processes, developments must be commercial, industrial or multi-family residential. Proposals need to be new and should consolidate at least two neighboring parcels of land totaling at least two acres.

Proposals need to align with the county’s Comprehensive Plan for redevelopment, and follow all laws and policies regarding affordable housing.

Developers will only receive tax breaks for their proposals if they act within the 10-year timeframe specific to their revitalization area. McLean’s window for the tax cut starts on July 1, 2024 and lasts through June 30, 2034.

The county plans to make the application process and forms available later this fall. Those who are interested can connect with county staff and discuss their eligibility by emailing Community Revitalization Section Director Elizabeth Hagg at [email protected].

A Stuff the Bus food drive this weekend will give Tysonians several opportunities to contribute to some of their neighbors in need.

Fairfax County has typically held Stuff the Bus food drives — where volunteers contribute food to those in need — twice a year. But the pandemic and economic downturn has left more in need than usual, so the county is holding more Stuff the Bus events than usual.

Stuff the Bus food drives in May collected 33.6 tons of food for local non-profits to distribute over two days.

This Saturday, Sept. 26, buses will be parked at 21 locations throughout the county from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to collect donations.

Locations close to Tysons this weekend are:

• McLean Government Center (1437 Balls Hill Road)
• Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Avenue East)
• Providence District Supervisor’s Office (3001 Vaden Drive)
• James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road)

The buses will be parked in less frequently used lots to avoid crowding.

The County included a list of frequently requested items from non-profits:

• Canned Tuna, Salmon or Chicken
• Soup
• Canned Pasta
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Canned Fruit (in light syrup or juice)
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Bag (Dry) Beans
• Rice – Brown or White
• Instant Potatoes
• Canned Tomatoes
• Pancake Mix
• Pancake Syrup
• Hot and Cold Cereal
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned Beans
• Healthy Snacks (e.g. raisins, granola bars)

Image via Fairfax County

McLean’s MPAartfest 2020 is kicking off early next month with a planned drive-in concert with some prestigious Motown alumni.

The concert “Voices of Classic Soul” will take place at the McLean Community Center parking lot (1234 Ingleside Avenue) with a showing at 4 p.m. and at 6 p.m.

The concert will feature Joe Coleman from The Platters, Joe Blunt of The Drifters, and Theo Peoples from The Temptations and The Four Tops. The group is scheduled to perform some of the big hits from their respective groups.

Tickets are $25 per car, with cars guided to spaces to ensure proper distancing.

The concert kicks off two-weeks of MPAartfest, a primarily digital program this year and live-streamed concerts.

Image via McLean Project for the Arts